Turkey army group announces takeover on TV (Turkish military coup)

[MowCowWhoHow III]

Last edited Fri Jul 15, 2016, 05:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: BBC

An army group in Turkey says it has taken over the country, with soldiers at strategic points in Istanbul and jets flying low in the capital, Ankara.

A statement read on TV said a "peace council" now ran the country and there was a curfew and martial law.

It is unclear who the army group is. There are reports some senior army officials have been detained.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would overcome what he called an uprising by a minority.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36809083

---

IMO it's a military coup.

Live : Turkey - low flying jets and gunfire heard in Ankara

Low flying jets and gunfire heard in Turkish capital
Both of Istanbul's bridges across the Bosphorus closed

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/15/turkey-low-flying-jets-and-gunfire-heard-in-ankara1/

or

http://www.cbsnews.com/live/

[MowCowWhoHow III]

1. Turkish military blocks Istanbul bridges

Turkish military blocks Istanbul bridges

Both of the main bridges in the Turkish city of Istanbul have been closed by security forces, reports say.

Traffic has been stopped from crossing both the Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges, but no reasons have been given.

There are also reports of military aircraft flying over the capital Ankara, with gunshots heard.

It is unclear if the events are related and there has been no official information so far on the deployments.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36809083?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_breaking&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=news_central

[bemildred]

2. What's Going on in Turkey?

Here’s what we know:

—The Turkish military appears to be staging an attempted coup against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

—We’re live-blogging the major updates. All updates are in Eastern Standard Time (GMT -5).

http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/07/turkey-government/491579/

[rjsquirrel]

7. I'm not sure I am rooting for anyone here eom

[bemildred]

8. That would be premature. nt

[rjsquirrel]

15. Even in the abstract

Erdogan is such a creep.

[bemildred]

18. There ain't no cure for some kinds of stupid.

It's no surprise that there is an attempted coup, that doesn't mean it will succeed, or that the result will be better than Erdogan, even though you are right that he is a creep.

[rjsquirrel]

20. Didn't say it would succeed

Just that I'm inclined to think there's no black or white in this particular situation.

[bemildred]

23. I don't believe I said anything about what you said.

Erdogan has been attempting to reverse course on some of his past bad decisions, for a week or two now. That was a sign. Those of us who follow Erdogan have been waiting for it, and he has it coming, so to speak, and the conventional wisdom would be that the military ejecting him from office is a good thing for almost everybody else.

That idea may well be what prompted the military to make its move.

I tend to favor that idea too, but I know enough not to get too optimistic until the dust settles and we see who the replacements are.

And things are very messy there already, the civil war may get worse from this, the jihadis won't take it lying down, the military may not all unite around the new leaders, and various other parties may seek to take advantage of the situation.

[rjsquirrel]

28. You seem to be arguing with me but

I'm not sure we disagree.

I follow Turkey closely and don't need explanations. I think we are both saying it's too complicated a situation to have clarity on a desirable outcome. Hence my original comment, "I'm not sure I'm rooting for anyone here."

[bemildred]

29. Have a nice day. nt

[rjsquirrel]

83. You too!

Seeing Erdogan out of office will definitely improve mine!

[bemildred]

85. Celebratory gunshots reverberate across Syrian capital, after Turkey coup news

DAMASCUS, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Celebratory gunshots echoed in several districts in the capital Damascus on Friday evening following the news of a military coup in Turkey.

Heavy gunfire reverberated across districts of Damascus from military checkpoints, in what appeared to be a celebration for the military coup that took place in Turkey later on Friday evening.

Not only gunshots, some people took to the highway of the Mazzeh district in Damascus, celebrating the coup news.

In Turkey, a military coup took place with the armed forces announcing they have seized power, citing rising autocratic rule and increased terrorism.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-07/16/c_135516802.htm

[rjsquirrel]

86. CNN just showed civilians shot on the street

Crap

[bemildred]

87. Yep. Hard to say how far the violence will go.

But plenty far is not unlikely.

[MADem]

58. Root for the military--it may seem counterintuitive, but they are the "good guys"

here--all they want is to put the country back on the path of Ataturk (assuming they do the same thing they've done in the last half dozen or more coups that have taken place down the years) and hold elections as soon as is reasonable.

[Yupster]

135. I'm afraid the coup will fail and

the President will use that as an excuse to make himself leader for life of the Islamic Republic of Turkey.

[MADem]

136. Looks like it already has failed--it is all over but the tears.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-primeminister-idUSKCN0ZV2HK

And you are correct--there will probably be executions a-plenty in the military, which will make it that much more difficult for Turkey to find its way back to the secular governance of Ataturk. I guess the only thing left to say is "Ladies, get out those headscarves, and maybe start thinking about the latest looks in chaderi, because you're going back to the kitchen!"

[Daemonaquila]

3. Turkish Prime Minister just said it's a coup.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/world/wp/2016/07/15/coup-attempt-under-way-in-turkey-prime-minister-says/?hpid=hp_no-name_hp-breaking-news%3Apage%2Fbreaking-news-bar&tid=a_breakingnews

[bemildred]

4. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says a group within the military engaged in an attempted coup

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_APNEWSALERT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-07-15-16-07-55

[ananda]

6. Reading on Twitter that ..

.. troops are moving through the city.

What a week!

[Wednesdays]

88. What a week? How about what a year

Election Year.


(Not saying this incident or any other specific incident is related, but there's been a huge escalation of violence in recent months.)

[6chars]

9. Reminds me of Egypt

[MADem]

114. A little different.

Egypt was always a military dictatorship, cloaked in civilian clothes for 'world' consumption. Nothing, really, has changed (not counting that brief flirtation with the rather fundamentalist and shi'a/Coptic hating Muhamad Morsi--that didn't last long, did it?):

Dashing Nasser:



Slightly less dashing, but certainly sartorial, Sadat and Mubarak:







Anwar Sadat and Mohamed Hosni Mubarak were both military officers who came up under Nasser.

There was an ugly rumor, perpetuated by a journalist and strongly refuted by Sadat's daughter, that Sadat poisoned Nasser with a cuppa coffee: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=41457




And of course, there was that rumor that Mubarak had Sadat assassinated (if so, he took a big chance--because he was right there). And it is Sadat's daughter making that charge as well: http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/06/world/meast/egypt-sadat-assassination/




Turkey is happy to have civilian leaders MOST of the time. It's only when they go a bit off the rails that the military comes in to do a course correction. Egypt, OTOH, is more comfortable with a military strongman at the head of the country, and a legislative body with limited local authority. Ever since they got rid of the King, it has been pretty much ever thus:



King Farouk abdicated (and ran like hell) in favor of his infant son, so he was technically the 2nd to last King of Egypt. He was a pervy guy (burn your massive porn collection, or take it with ya, Rex!) who ate himself to death, and died at a restaurant table in Rome. It's been military leadership (in some form, save the exception, Morsi) ever since.

[left-of-center2012]

10. Who are the good guys?

Whose side is the U.S. on?

[MowCowWhoHow III]

11. TBD

[6chars]

12. a military coup would probably keep u.s. ties

and NATO. This isn't the first military coup in Turkey.

On the other hand, Erdogan is a hugely popular leader, so it will be tricky for US to stay on sidelines and not be blamed by whichever side ends up in power.

[Calista241]

119. I wouldn't say he's hugely popular.

He's a polarizing figure. His party won 49% of the votes last time they faced the electorate.

His government has seen some pretty serious protests on his policies that have been crushed pretty effectively by his security forces.

[geek tragedy]

13. No one. Every one. nt

[christx30]

25. Well, Erdoğan is a little too friendly with ISIS for my personal

taste.
On the other hand, Turkey's military is an unknown quantity. So I can definitely, and without reservation say...

But the US probably will have a difficult time recognizing a post coup Turkey. We won't even give aid to a country who's government was installed via a coup.

[a la izquierda]

67. Um, we aid Honduras.

That was not a military coup per se, but...
We have a long history of aiding governments installed by coup. See Latin America.

[christx30]

73. There was an issue with aid to Egypt after the coups there in 2013.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/07/03/law-says-the-u-s-is-required-to-cut-aid-after-coups-will-it/

Not like the law really means much, when all is said and done.

[bdwker]

27. Erdogan is a thug.

[Mopar151]

32. In Turkey, it's more like Bad and Worse. n/t

[AntiBank]

46. Erdogan is an Islamist who kept weapons flowing to Isis

because they attack the Kurds.
My snap call is this is a good thing.

[larkrake]

144. he bought oil from Isis until the Russians blew up the trucks, and kills off the Kurds in Turkey and

Turkey and swears the Kurds will not regain their Kurdistan. He is a very evil man. Obama needs the base there so will not move against him

[David__77]

97. I cannot imagine a coup being an event on net adverse to US security.

I cannot imagine a coup being adverse to regional stability.

[left-of-center2012]

14. Turkish military says it has taken over

The Turkish military has issued a statement saying it has taken over.

The military says all existing foreign relations will continue.

“The rule of law must remain a priority,” they added.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/turkey-coup-live-updates-explosion-8431256

[lordcommander]

19. I called this way back in May.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1437797

[left-of-center2012]

54. "I called this way back in May"

Oh, I thought Trump said that.

[lordcommander]

134. Nope.

I was referring to my post.

[1StrongBlackMan]

33. I don't know enough to comment on whether this is a good thing or a bad thing; but, ...

I'm always amused when, in the midst of a coup, someone declares, “The rule of law must remain a priority,”.

Is a coup written within the rule of law?

[Kali]

51. I think in Turkey is kind of is.

The military is supposed to keep the government in check, secular, etc. I am no expert but I know it has happened before.

[MADem]

66. In Turkey, it sort of is. The goal of the military when they "intervene" is to

put the nation back on the path of Ataturk.

The recent constitution has all this Islamic/Sharia shit in it--that is NOT the way Turkey, historically, ran things. Ataturk favored a secular government and didn't want any one religion to hold sway. He even changed the alphabet to bring Turkey closer to Europe.

The military will, if they hold true to form, rewrite the constitution and get rid of all that nutty Islamic law stuff, and hold elections when they feel the time is right. Then they'll step back into the shadows.


I'll bet there are a few Quislings in the military ranks who aren't feeling too good today--Erdoğan fired a lot of stand-up officers and replaced them with fundies.

[left-of-center2012]

16. What will Trump say?

[MADem]

68. He'd be better off keeping his trap shut--I doubt he could find Turkey on a map! nt

[awoke_in_2003]

90. Where's the stuffing? nt

[MADem]

115. THREAD WIN!!!!!

It's funny....cuz it's TRUE!!

[awoke_in_2003]

116. Woo Hoo

I finally have won a thread

[left-of-center2012]

121. Trump would say:

"Since Turkey is a Muslim country,
as President I would ban turkey from holiday dinners.
Bring on the tofu!"

[bemildred]

17. In Ankara, Turkey, Reports of Gunfire and Tanks in Streets Amid "Military Intervention"

Reuters is reporting that Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirm stated Friday that "military action has been taken without chain of command" and that there has been "an attempted military intervention" in Ankara, the Turkish capital.

BREAKING: Turkish prime minister says military action being taken without chain of command

"Some people illegally undertook an illegal action outside of the chain of command," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on local private television outlet NTV, the New York Times reports.

"The government elected by the people remains in charge," Yildirim added in defiance. "This government will only go when the people say so."

BREAKING Turkish PM Yildirim confirms there is an attempted military intervention.

https://mic.com/articles/148917/in-ankara-turkey-reports-of-gunfire-and-tanks-in-streets-amid-military-intervention?mic_referral=section%3Amost-recent%3A0

[MowCowWhoHow III]

21. Turkey's top general 'held hostage' at military HQ: state agency

#BREAKING Turkey's top general 'held hostage' at military HQ: state agency
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/754053586192048128

[6chars]

34. could get ugly

[yourpaljoey]

22. As Turtle Man would say, "Live Action!"

[lovuian]

24. Erdogan must have been a

topic between Putin and Kerry

The US has been wanting him out for quite sometime.....he's been grabbing more and more power

[MowCowWhoHow III]

26. Turkish President Erdogan safe, being taken to secret location by forces loyal to him

Turkish President Erdogan safe, being taken to secret location by forces loyal to him
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/754053586192048128

[muriel_volestrangler]

30. Not sure what country he's in, though

The full Turkish military statement reads: “Turkish Armed Forces have completely taken over the administration of the country to reinstate constitutional order, human rights and freedoms, the rule of law and general security that was damaged.

“All international agreements are still valid. We hope that all of our good relationships with all countries will continue.”

The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is on holiday and outside the country. Reuters has quoted a source within his office as saying that he is safe.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jul/15/turkey-coup-attempt-military-gunfire-ankara?page=with:block-57894dfde4b073c22786c878#block-57894dfde4b073c22786c878

And then: "We understand that the Turkish president is due to make a statement shortly."

[HeartoftheMidwest]

59. So would it be safe to guess.....

...that the secular forces are stepping in to block the slide toward religious, dictatorial rule?
And to possibly stabilize relations with Russia, and not get sucked further into Middle-Eastern instability and warfare?

[muriel_volestrangler]

64. Not necessarily - see #62 - Erdogan claims it's the Gulenists

who are also religious - see the link at that reply.

[HeartoftheMidwest]

71. Will do.

Thx.

[HeartoftheMidwest]

76. It seems a given that Erdogan would seek to scapegoat someone for the coup.

But the Gulenists are most powerful within the police force...and the coup is from forces within the military?

[muriel_volestrangler]

80. All I can think it means is: don't assume it's one faction rather than another

It could even be both, joined because they'd each rather work with the other than Erdogan and his party.

[MADem]

120. If that's the case, this'll be the first time the Turkish military has "lost."

I heard a rumor that the coup leaders were shot down in a helo--if that's true, then the effort is rudderless and doomed.

And there will be hell to pay....

[bemildred]

31. Turkey army group announces takeover on TV

PM Binali Yildirim earlier denounced an "illegal action" by a military "group", stressing it was not a coup. He said that the government remained in charge.

Traffic has been stopped from crossing both the Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges in Istanbul.

There are reports of gunshots in the capital Ankara.

Gunfire was also heard outside Istanbul police HQ and tanks are said to be stationed outside Istanbul airport. All flights are cancelled.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36809083

[Socal31]

35. Military is fed up with the Islamist direction that Ankara has been headed.

[lordcommander]

41. +10000 nt

[mainer]

49. Agree. Military tends to be secular.

Never forget Ataturk was a military man. He started Turkey on the road to modernity.

[MowCowWhoHow III]

36. Soldiers have reportedly taken control of state broadcaster TRT . - @Jakoben1789

Soldiers have reportedly taken control of state broadcaster TRT . - @Jakoben1789
https://twitter.com/Conflicts/status/754060756128260096

[MowCowWhoHow III]

37. Civilians rush to withdraw money from ATM machines in #Turkey as military attempts coup.

Civilians rush to withdraw money from ATM machines in #Turkey as military attempts coup.
https://twitter.com/RudawEnglish/status/754055773077008384

[BooScout]

38. Not necessarily a bad thing...

....if a more secular government is installed. Erdogan is for all essential purposes a dictator....and has brought back a lot of the religious dogma during his tenure.

[MowCowWhoHow III]

39. U.S. SAYS ITS CITIZENS IN TURKEY SHOULD SHELTER IN PLACE

U.S. SAYS ITS CITIZENS IN TURKEY SHOULD SHELTER IN PLACE
https://twitter.com/russian_market/status/754061919280066560

[Purveyor]

40. Facebook, Twitter And YouTube Blacked Out In Turkey Amid Fears Of Attempted Coup

Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are reportedly blocked in Turkey amid talk of an attempted coup.

The social media sites were blocked on Friday as tanks barged through the streets of Istanbul during what Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim called an attempted coup by parts of the nation's military.

The military activity in Istanbul and the capital of Ankara was unexpected and sudden. Initial reports emerged of military jets flying low over Ankara while the main bridges across The Bosphorus, the water body that separates the European half from the Asian half of Istanbul, were closed by armed forces.

Military officers have reportedly taken over the state broadcasting network and announced they have assumed control of the country, though other government officials dispute this.

MORE...

http://mashable.com/2016/07/15/turkey-facebook-twitter-youtube-blocked-attempted-coup/#j.144IWvx8qw

[bluedigger]

84. A friend posted from Istanbul on FB about 10 minutes ago.

He flew in yesterday. No real details, other than his beach day is off.

[MowCowWhoHow III]

42. Announcer on Turkey's TRT says country is now run by a "Peace Council"

Announcer on Turkey's TRT says country is now run by a "Peace Council"
https://twitter.com/russian_market/status/754062854865707008

[MowCowWhoHow III]

44. Turkish presidential source says #Turkey's democratically elected President Erdogan in power

Update - Reuters: Turkish presidential source says #Turkey's democratically elected President Erdogan and his government are in power
https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/754063838031581184

[MowCowWhoHow III]

45. Ha! Erdogan is reduced to skyping in!!

[NWCorona]

61. How embarrassing!

[bemildred]

47. Chief of Turkey’s General Staff and a number of high level military officials taken hostage

YEREVAN, JULY 16, ARMENPRESS. Turkish media inform Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Turkey Hulusi Akar has been taken hostage by the initiators of the coup d'état. “Armenpress” reports Ria Novosti informs that there are a number of other captivated high level military officials as well. BBC informs that the initiators of the coup have justified their activities by the necessity to restore “democratic order” in Turkey. Turkish Doğan News Agency informs that the police have taken stepped up security measures nearby Erdogan’s residency.

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/854411/chief-of-turkey%E2%80%99s-general-staff-and-a-number-of-high-level-military-officials-taken-hostage.html

[MADem]

48. Not the first time this has happened, and likely not the last.

For anyone who is overly concerned about this, this is kinda how Ataturk set it up.

While we would be appalled by this kind of thing, this is the 'Turkish safety valve" at work. I am -- frankly -- surprised it took so long--the gutting of the military in recent years no doubt slowed the process down.

When the government goes 'too far afield' (and in this case, they've been tromping on Turkey's SECULAR traditions, enshrined by Ataturk, among other issues) it has been observed, in the past, that one wakes up in the morning to hear on the radio, or see on the telly, a smooth voiced, calming general telling the population that the military is going to take over "just for a bit" until the ship of state rights itself. Then, after a period of time, they turn the show back over to the civilians.

This used to happen every ten years or so (actually, they are LONG overdue for one). A few times, they've forced the government out without dissolving Parliament.

I am pointing this out because it is important to understand that the military is the entity that watches OVER the civilian process, and ensures it continues under the vision and traditions of Ataturk. This is not a "power grab" thing--or at least it has not been in past coups. We're not talking banana republic, here--there will be, once again, a civilian government in charge of Turkey again, eventually. Preferably one that isn't Quite So Fundy.

The citizens know this, too.


The military has never "not" succeeded when they've pulled this sort of thing in the past--they've always done the coup, righted the ship, and turned it back over to the people. The fact that the previous prime minister, Erdoğan, seeded the upper echelons of the military with a bunch of non-Ataturk-philosophy-friendly fundy nuts might complicate things a bit, though. We shall see.....

[mainer]

53. [phone]

I believe this is a good thing. Ataturk is a hero to most in Turkey.

[MADem]

55. It's been awhile since that last one (late nineties, I think?) but it used to happen regularly.

If the military stays true to form, there will be elections soon enough.

The new PM has only been in the job for a couple of months--they needed to strike before he could consolidate power and insert more nutty fundies in the upper echelons of the Turkish military (a lot of the "normal" guys were fired/retired under Erdoğan--I had a couple of friends in the Turkish Army and Navy who were at retirement age a while back and could have stayed on, but bailed out in utter disgust).

[Warpy]

89. Exactly! The Turks take a very long view of things and have a history that goes back thousands of

years farther than ours does. Ataturk was a wise man who knew their history well, back to Byzantium and before, and set things up accordingly in case the people made fools of themselves by electing, well, Erdogan.

I notice, despite the best efforts of Sky News to disguise it, that the mood in the street is evenly divided between questioning and celebration, about the way it was in the past when some wannabe strongman was kicked out of office.

Likely the new regime will fumigate the offices and start to eliminate the most egregious Erdogan appointees from their own ranks, especially in positions of power, ditto the government, keep things stable for a while, then hold new elections. To their credit, they've never seemed interested in running the country long term in the past and I hope that will be the case now.

[bemildred]

50. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 'flees country in private jet' after military launches coup

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reportedly fled the country in a private jet following a military coup.

---

Meanwhile soldiers have reportedly raided Istanbul Police Department headquarters, requesting the policemen handover their weapons.

Gunfire has also been heard at the police station, according to statements on Twitter.

The current situation inside the building is not clear as yet.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/breaking-gunfire-reported-ankara-military-8431619

[MADem]

72. Well, that's good news--that guy is a total shit. nt

[bemildred]

77. I do get the feeling that Erdogan was taken by surprise.

His reponse so far is that the people should take to the streets to save him.

I dunno if that particular story is true, but it's very popular in the Armenian and Russian press.

[MADem]

91. Yeah, he's blustering like mad as he runs like hell!

He likely thought he was "safe" because he replaced some of the very capable and internationally-minded senior military leaders, who had respect for the institutions Ataturk crafted, with fundies, and retired them against their wills.

I hear the coupers have arrested the Army Chief of Staff, he was likely one of the fundy problem-creators.

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of those involuntarily-retired senior leaders had a hand in all this.

One normally doesn't say "Good!" when a coup happens, but the soft coups of Turkey always left the country better after they happened. I hope this has the same result--Turkey needs to be one of the level-headed players in that region.

[bemildred]

93. That is what it looks like, trying to bullshit his way through.

But he would do that regardless.

And the coup leaders seem to have some idea what they are doing too, not amateurs, but it will take a day or two for the mist of bullshit in the air to clear up.

[MADem]

108. LOL--that's it, exactly. The last coup (and they've all been successful) was in the late 90s, IIRC.

They do all the right things--shut down the power when needed, cut the lines of communication, take over the broadcasting facilities, round up anyone likely to try to muster an opposition, etc.

Turkey's conscript military, the rank and file, I mean, may not be the brightest or the most tech-savvy, but they do follow orders well. They've got a very tight chain of command working and they do a lot of small unit stuff -- since everyone plays soldier for their period of enlistment, every male in the country really understands the whole concept of the constitution, secular government, etc. And the Cult of Ataturk is strong with them. They really do feel like they're doing God's work by perpetuating Ataturk's goals.

Tomorrow morning, we should see some general on the TV telling everyone to chillax, that all will be well and they'll call for elections as soon as the situation is stabilized.

Now maybe the "Forced Hijab" shit can stop. That was never a thing in Turkey, years ago. I really don't like what I've been seeing with all the sharia crap with Erdoğan--I was resigned to it because I thought the military would jump in years ago, and when they didn't I figured Erdoğan had really cut the beating heart and soul out of the organization.

[Warpy]

107. Our military was also caught completely flatfooted

they had no clue.

[MADem]

127. If we had a clue, we'd have been required to notify our NATO ally.

That's why the idea is to keep these things secret--they got that part right, anyway...

I am hearing that this didn't have the approval of the full military, but that could be backpedaling.

Prez E. was wandering around the streets of Istanbul, last I heard, amongst his crowds of supporters.

[bemildred]

52. Turkish President Erdogan: Speaking on cell phone to CNN

Comments on CNN

This is an act encouraged by parallel structure
Attempted uprising will be given necessary response
Calls on people to go out on streets
Says a nation must gather in squares to give response to attempted uprising
We will overcome this
Believes attempted uprising will be resolved within a short time
Returning to capital Ankara
Does not believe coup plotters will be successful

http://news.forexlive.com/!/turkish-president-erdogan-speaking-on-cell-phone-to-cnn-20160715

[rockfordfile]

56. Interesting to see how this plays out

What's with the sky/fauxnews crap?

[MowCowWhoHow III]

57. it's free and live - deal with it.

[MADem]

74. There is no internet in Turkey at all right now--very hard to get info.

SKY news--like it or not--is the best outlet for latest breaking news in many venues.

They either have someone on the ground, or they've paid handsomely for access to streams.

While I don't champion their editorial view, there are reasons that they are so successful, and being on the ground and broadcasting the story when the shit hits the fan is one of them.

[MowCowWhoHow III]

60. Strong explosion heard in Turkish capital Ankara: AFP

#BREAKING Strong explosion heard in Turkish capital Ankara: AFP
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/754070202032254976

Also some reports of attack on TV building.

[muriel_volestrangler]

69. BBC says it's getting unconfirmed reports of copters firing on TV building (nt)

[muriel_volestrangler]

62. Erdoğan blames Gulenist network

BREAKING Turkish President Erdoğan blames #Gulenist network & calls on public to go to public squares and airports.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jul/15/turkey-coup-attempt-military-gunfire-ankara?page=with:block-57895b22e4b08239dbab7965#block-57895b22e4b08239dbab7965

A presidential source has said: “This is a coup attempt by the Gulen movement, at which several known Gulenists hinted in recent months. The perpetrators have violated the chain in command.”

Here’s an interesting piece on the Gulenist movement.
...
The president was speaking from an undisclosed location and NBC News, citing an anonymous US military source, said that his plane had been refused landing rights in Istanbul.

The seizure in March of Turkey's largest newspaper was because of claimed links to Gulen: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-politics-gulen-idUSKCN0W60FB

[AngryAmish]

75. The US has Gulen stashed in the Poconos

I hope the people of Turkey will forgive us.

[muriel_volestrangler]

79. Whether they are involved is far from clear

Erdogan, currently said to be on a jet, asking for asylum in Germany, is not a neutral, reliable source of information. But it is possible.

[Blue_Tires]

103. Forgive us for what?

I want so see some hard, definitive proof of alleged direct U.S. involvement before the usual useful idiots start screeching it from the mountaintop...

[giftedgirl77]

128. Thank you.

[MADem]

130. +1,000! nt

[al bupp]

63. Twitter Feed

https://twitter.com/search?q=military+take+over+turkey&ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Esearch

[NWCorona]

65. I think we now know why Erdogan was trying to smooth things out with Russia and Israel.

[bemildred]

70. Turkish Public Broadcaster Under Heavy Gunfire From Helicopters

The main building of Turkish state television TRT is under fire from helicopters.

Heavy gunfire has been reported at the Turkish Presidential Palace.

A powerful explosion hit the capital of Ankara, according to a RIA Novosti correspondent.

http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160716/1043080190/trt-turkey-gunfire.html

[Purveyor]

78. State-Run Rews Agency Reports Military Helicopters Have Attacked Headquarters Of TURKSAT Satellite

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — State-run news agency reports military helicopters have attacked headquarters of TURKSAT satellite station.

[bemildred]

81. Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reporting military helicopter has attacked Ankara police headquart

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reporting military helicopter has attacked Ankara police headquarters.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_APNEWSALERT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-07-15-18-08-48

[MowCowWhoHow III]

82. US State Dept tells Americans in #Turkey NOT to go to US Embassy and to shelter in place.

U.S. citizens in #Turkey should continue to shelter in place. Do not attempt to go to @USEmbassyTurkey or Consulates at this time.
https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/754078057292595201

[MADem]

101. Smart move--the Turkish military is probably not going to fiddle-fart around.

They're likely inclined to shoot anyone who looks uncooperative, furtive, or scurrying along purposefully.

[muriel_volestrangler]

94. BBC reports Reuters says Turkish TV (!) claims jet has shot down helicopter

But don't worry, the commander of the First Army says there's "no cause for concern" ...

[MowCowWhoHow III]

96. Turkish F-16s shoot down helicopter carrying 'coup plotters': NTV television

Turkish F-16s shoot down helicopter carrying 'coup plotters': NTV television
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/754088908074389504

17 police officers killed in Turkey coup attempt: state news agency
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/754089288522924032

Obama urges support for 'democratically-elected' Turkish govt
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/754089484225024000

[uawchild]

98. Holy Cow.

Unbelievable.

If the military is divided, it could really be a bloodbath.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

149. There was a crash of a military helicopter in Turkey a week and a half ago.

I didn't post anything about it at the time.

I wonder if it was related to the coup.

Turkey helicopter crash kills seven in Giresun

5 July 2016

Europe

A Turkish military helicopter has crashed in the north-east of the country, killing seven people and injuring the other eight on board.

The Sikorsky S-70 was carrying senior military officers and members of their families, among them several children.

It came down in hilly terrain in Giresun province near the Black Sea. No cause of the crash has been given but the weather was poor at the time.

The passengers were reportedly flying to Eid celebrations in Giresun. ... "Seven of our companions in arms, their wives and children have lost their lives," the army chief of staff said in a statement, without giving details of the fatalities. ... A brigadier general and two colonels were among the passengers, Turkish media said.

[uawchild]

99. updates from RT

23:11 GMT
A military helicopter reportedly shot down has been said to be a Sikorsky aircraft. NTV news says it was brought down by the government’s F-16 fighter jet.

23:09 GMT
US President Barack Obama has urged support for the “democratically-elected” Turkish government.

23:07 GMT
AT least 17 police officers have been killed at Ankara Special Forces headquarters, Anadolu news agency says.

https://www.rt.com/news/351345-turkey-coup-military-ankara/

[uawchild]

100. updates from BBC

19:14
The state-run Anadolu news agency reports that 17 police officers have been killed in an aerial attack on the Golbasi special operations department in Ankara.

Report: Army helicopter downed by Turkish fighter jet
Posted at19:09
Turkish broadcaster NTV reports that a Sikorsky helicopter belonging to the army group attempting a coup has been downed by a Turkish military F-16 jet.

This is only one report so far, so we will bring you more on this when we get it.

Antalya imam: 'Take to streets for democracy'
Posted at
19:06

[uawchild]

102. Anadolu: Jets seeking to engage rebel helicopters over Ankara

Turkey's state agency Anadolu reports that the army's jets are flying over the capital Ankara to "neutralise" helicopters being used by those behind the coup.

Anadolu names the group "Feto", which is what Turkey's government calls the Hizment movement run by the cleric Fetullah Gulen.
http://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-36811357

[DonCoquixote]

104. two guesses

either Isis
or Putin aided this.

If Putin, he has in effect crippled Nato and isis in one fell swoop.

[misterhighwasted]

105. News saying Erdogan has fled to Germany. ???

Can't keep up here. Developing quickly.
Anyone hear about his exile?

[uawchild]

106. A reclusive religious scholar in Pennsylvania may be behind the attempted coup in Turkey

As tanks take up positions in the streets and jets fly overhead in a dramatic coup attempt in Turkey, suspicion has fallen on Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Turkish religious scholar and political enemy of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the strongman Turkish president.
Until now, Erdogan had appeared to have crushed the 75-year-old Gulen, who has deep roots in the Turkish political, military, judicial, and media establishments, as well as in Muslim countries around the world. But if, as Erdogan himself has alleged, Gulen or his followers are involved in the putsch, then it demonstrates that he remains a force to contend with, though he has lived for years in seclusion in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania.

In recent weeks, Erdogan has visibly sought to shore up his regional political position by ending the hostility in his relations with Israel and Russia. But until today, there was no indication that he might be in trouble domestically. If it is successful, it will be one of the most surprising coups in modern memory.

Until a few years ago, the shadowy Gulen was an Erdogan ally, and backed his rise, first as prime minister and then president. But in late 2013, Gulen challenged Erdogan’s tightening grip on power. Law-enforcement and judicial officials thought to be loyal to Gulen brought corruption charges against people close to Erdogan, in a campaign that appeared even to be going after Erdogan’s two sons. It was not clear who would win what appeared to be a clear struggle for control of the country. In early 2014, however, Erdogan struck back, purging hundreds of Turkish police officials who had been part of the investigation.
http://qz.com/733802/a-reclusive-religious-scholar-in-pennsylvania-may-be-behind-the-attempted-coup-in-turkey/

[MowCowWhoHow III]

109. Turkish parliament in Ankara hit by bombing: state news agency

#BREAKING Turkish parliament in Ankara hit by bombing: state news agency
https://twitter.com/AFP/status/754098756849700864

[uawchild]

110. This will not end well

It's starting to look like a civil war.

[MowCowWhoHow III]

111. If it's not over by 12:00 UTC on Saturday, then it's shit meet fan time

[uawchild]

112. Erdogan seems to be regaining control

Reports say state tv back in goverment's hands.

And that Erdogan is landing back at Ankara airport.

Hmm, Istanbul is in rebel hands and Ankara in the government's?

This could still be messy

[romanic]

113. This is crazy.

Is the military secular, are they going after the government due to shady ties with ISIS?

[MowCowWhoHow III]

117. Large explosion in #Ankara in the last few minutes.

Large explosion in #Ankara in the last few minutes.
https://twitter.com/Conflicts/status/754112481245683712

[MADem]

122. Was that the helicopter carrying the coup leaders being shot down? nt

[MowCowWhoHow III]

123. Don't think so, doesn't fit the timeline

[MADem]

129. I still don't know what's going on!!

But I gotta say, I think this is one of the best photos I've seen in a while:







The government is claiming that they've pushed back the coup, but the coupers haven't been seen to give up just yet, have they?

[MowCowWhoHow III]

131. I might have high standards re: crushing coups

But if Erdogan still has coup aviation bombing parliament in Ankara (that was the video explosion), I would suggest he might still have one or two loose ends to tidy up.

[MADem]

138. If he prevails, there are gonna be executions a-plenty...and it will be that much harder for

Turkey to find their way back to secular governance.

I guess he was able to shoot down a helo containing coup plotters--without leaders, these things tend to go all pear shaped.

I think it might be all over but the sobbing (and I'll bet Putin is laughing...).

[Alameda]

132. and there is a cat in the photo....i hope it is ok

[MADem]

139. That cat is looking at that cop like "What are you doing in MY neighborhood? These streets are MINE

at night, fool!!!"

[MowCowWhoHow III]

118. Graphic video of casualties in front of the main Turkish armed forces HQ

https://www.reddit.com/live/x9gf3donjlkq/updates/cf75ea5a-4aed-11e6-a2b4-0e4f41f7713f

[AntiBank]

126. damn

graphic indeed

[Deuce]

124. Just read on Al Jazeera that the coup had failed...

[MowCowWhoHow III]

125. Well it's not going swimmingly, but it's not quite over yet.

I think Al Jazeera's doing a bit of cheerleading atm.

[cpwm17]

133. Good: this is a very bad way to form a government.

The coup was a disaster for Egypt. Sisi is a brutal thug. He is far worse than the previous government in Egypt

[Warpy]

137. It's different in Turkey

where the military is in the position of guarding the secular state. They've had coups roughly every 10 years. One is way overdue.

The military boots out a strongman who thinks he's king, executes his main supporters, throws others into jail and governs for a while until the top brass thinks the civilians have wised up enough to be trusted with an election. Then they do and the military retreats into its main job.

This one was so clumsy it was either false flag or pushback by the Gulen Movement. While i hate CT, I sort of suspect the former because it would give Erdogan an excuse to crush the Gulen movement.

Other military coups there have been rapid, emphatic, and permanent.

[Little Tich]

140. Seems like the coup failed - good. n/t

[brentspeak]

141. Erdogan is an Islamist who's has secretly sided with ISIS

How is it "good" that the coup failed?

[Little Tich]

142. Erdogan can be removed from office by popular vote - how do you vote to remove a military junta? n/t

[Democat]

145. Are you serious?

Look at this history of Turkey. The military protects people from potential dictators and extreme theocracy.

[harun]

146. Yes, a good thing! Here's to hoping Erdogan cleans up the mess.

[steve2470]

143. Live Reddit news feed (some unconfirmed)

https://www.reddit.com/live/x9gf3donjlkq

[MowCowWhoHow III]

147. 07:00 UTC : Coup btfo

[rafeh1]

148. love images

of unarmed civilians arresting fully armed soldiers.
democracy is not pure and clean but still better than other systems